Faculty Profile: Bill Alves

Professor of Music and Miller Professor of Humanities Bill Alves has been at Harvey Mudd College since 1995. In addition to teaching a variety of music courses, he organizes the HMC Concert Series, which features performances by student and professional musicians. Alves is a composer and video artist with myriad musical interests, including in Indonesian gamelan, computer music, abstract animation and visual music and alternate tuning systems. He is a recipient of the 2026 Henry T. Mudd Prize. Find out more about his musical interests, what he’s reading and more in this Q-and-A.

What is your favorite part about your job and why?

I most enjoy the enthusiasm and creativity students bring to music and also the support and friendship of my colleagues.

What is something people don’t understand about your job that you wish they did?

My professional work, which in many departments is called “research,” consists mostly of composing and performing new music. Don’t tell anyone, but I would do it even if it wasn’t part of my job.

If you could swap jobs with any other HMC employee for a day, who would it be?

The person who determines benefits for upcoming retirees.

What’s your favorite food/dish in the Hoch-Shanahan Dining Hall?

I’m vegetarian and appreciate the many veggie options at Hoch-Shanahan. Not so much the brussels sprouts.

What is your favorite hobby, activity or creative outlet?

Because my professional work is also my creative outlet, I don’t need to describe my favorite. However, I also like playing Baroque harpsichord music, hiking in the mountains, and having a beer with my wife and friends after a long week.

What is your most effective strategy for dealing with stress?

Whacking pieces of bronze over and over with a wooden hammer.

Are you studying or learning something new?

I’m working on my skills editing video and programming VR with the musically named C#.

What book or podcast are you enjoying right now?

Besides music, I enjoy reading fiction—recently, it’s James Morrow, Angela Carter, and Jonathan Lethem. I also like reading Scientific American (I came to the right place!).

What’s a fun fact about you?

When I was in college, I wrote musicals and majored in computer science.